A goal in the 13th minute off the foot of senior captain Kate Schwindel clinched the second straight Big 12 Soccer Championship title for the No. 8-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team, as the squad defeated sixth-seeded Oklahoma 1-0 last night at Swope Soccer Village. 

 

The title is the Mountaineers’ fifth conference championship title and fourth in five years. WVU (16-2-3, 7-0-1), the three-time reigning Big 12 regular-season champions, have now won five Big 12 titles in three seasons. The Mountaineers’ senior class – Schwindel, Jess Crowder, Ali Connelly and Katie Osterman – will leave Morgantown with seven conference titles. 

 

WVU has won 13 conference titles since 2002. 

 

“It is an unbelievable feeling to be a part of this team and to experience this win with everyone,” said three-time reigning Big 12 Coach of the Year Nikki Izzo-Brown. “I’m especially happy that Kate got that game-winner. I’m so proud of this team.”

 

With the win, WVU earns the Big 12 Conference’s automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament, ensuring the Mountaineers’ 15th straight appearance. 

 

Sunday's shutout, the team’s 11th of the season, is the Mountaineers’ fourth straight in a conference championship final. Junior Hannah Steadman matched her career high with six saves for her 10th shutout of the season. 

 

“To get this shutout as a team – unbelievable,” said Izzo-Brown. “Hannah has gotten better every game, and this was one of her best performances. She got that clean sheet and did what she needs to do – make the easy saves, but come up with the big ones.”

 

The win pushes the Mountaineers’ unbeaten streak to 18, matching a program record first set in 2002. WVU has not lost since falling 2-0 to No. 21 Duke on Aug. 29.

 

“Two years in a row – this is an unbelievable feeling,” said sophomore midfielder Ashley Lawrence. “I’m so proud of this team and the coaching staff. We put in the work leading up to this tournament, and it paid off.” 

 

Schwindel put the Mountaineers on the board in the 13th minute, getting her foot on a ball sent into the box from junior midfielder Amanda Hill and directing it toward the far post. OU’s Kaitlyn Fahrner hit the deck and got her hands on the ball, but she couldn’t stop its momentum and it trickled into the net for the forward’s seventh goal of the season. 

 

“I barely got my foot on the ball. I just prayed that I put enough on it to get it past the keeper,” said Schwindel. “Tonight’s win shows how much heart we have. We knew OU was going to come at us and send the long ball in. We just had to stay focused and play our game. 

 

“This is an awesome feeling. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but at WVU.”

 

The score was Schwindel’s first ever at a Big 12 Soccer Championship. She now shows 33 career goals and is tied with Blake Miller (2008-11) for No. 6 on the Mountaineers’ all-time list. 

 

The Mountaineers relied on a stout defensive effort to ensure the victory, with one of the biggest stops coming in the final nine seconds. A WVU foul gave the Sooners (10-8-4, 3-4-1) a free kick from 28-yards out. Jordyn Webster let a blast sail toward the net, but Steadman proved steady, making her sixth save of the night count and preserving the win. 

 

“This was a total team effort defensively,” said Izzo-Brown. “We were just hanging on. It wasn’t pretty at times, but great teams find a way to win. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be a win, and that’s what we did.” 

 

The Mountaineers limited a pressing OU team to 12 shots. WVU finished with 10, with only four coming in the second half. Both teams earned three corner kicks, and Fahrner finished with three saves, all on shots by Schwindel. 

 

Schwindel pushed to give the Mountaineers a quick two-goal lead, but Fahrner turned away both her chances. The Livingston, New Jersey, native racked up three shots on-frame in the first 21 minutes. 

 

Steadman came up with three saves in the first half and turned away two corners.  

 

OU came out attacking in the second half, and Tori Bowman threatened to chip in the equalizer twice in the first 15 minutes. Her first chance sailed left of the net, while the second was stopped by Steadman. Bowman and Abby Hodgen paced the Sooners with three shots each. 

 

The Mountaineers placed a program-record five on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team: Steadman, Schwindel, Lawrence, sophomore defender Kadeisha Buchanan (defender) and freshman forward Michaela Abam. Buchanan and Lawrence were named the Defensive and Offensive MVP. The honor is the second straight for Buchanan.

 

Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of WVU Women's Soccer team's Facebook page.